Water-wheel



(No Model.)

J. L. PERLEY.

WATER WHEEL.

No. 348,997. Patented Sept. V14, 188e.

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UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. PER-LEY, oir nNosBuRo, vERMONT.

WATER-WHEEL.

SPECEFXCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,997, dated September 14, 1886.

` Application filed March 25, 1886. Serial No. 196,454. (No model.)

To aZZ whom/t may concern:

.Re it known that I, JOHN L. PERLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Enosburg, in the county of Franklin and State of Vermont, have invented-certain new and useful Improvementsin Tater-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be afnll, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to turbine waterwheels, and more particularly to that class of turbines known as reaction7 wheels; and it consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts of a turbine water-wheel of the described class, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim. i

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved waterwheel in its operative position, showing part of the outer casingwhich incloses the wheel broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of the wheel removed from the casing. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewof the wheel, taken through the shaft thereof; and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional View of one of the buckets of the waterwhee1.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A represents` the base piece or platfo1m,which extends beneath the wheel, and which is provided with the stepB, on which the lower end of the wheel-shaft is seated.v

C indicates the platform,which extends immediately above the wheel, being` supported above the base-piece by suitable uprights, l), and having a central opening, E, immediately over the wheel, through which the water Obtains access into the wheel, as hereinafter described.

F represents the rim of a cylindrical casing, which is secured upon the upper platform, C, being provided with a suitable top, G, having a central aperture, H, through which the shaft of the Water-wheel extends. One side of the rim F diverges at I and forms the outer side of the water-way, while the other end of the rim terminates at the upright J, the opening between the ends of the said rim forming the watercourse or inlet to the wheel, and the flow of Water through the said inlet being regulated by a eentrally-pivoted gate, K, as shown in the drawings.

L represents the bottom of my improved water-wheel, there being no top, the said bottom being made in the form of a hollow truncated cone, the upper surface of the conical bottom being smooth and slightly concaved, as clearly shown in the sectional view, Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, the under side of the wheelbottom being hollowed out or formed with the eoncavity M, so as to be approximately invertedf-V-shaped in cross-section. (See Fig. 3.) The lower flat annular rim N of the wheel is secured directly to the lower outer edge of the bottom of the wheel, and betweenthis lowerI rim and the upper rim, O, are rigidly secured the perpendicular buckets l?, which may be either straight or concave on their inner faces according to the velocity with which it is desired that the wheel should revolve. The buckets are beveled or rounded off upon the outer side of their Outer and inner edges, at Q and R, so as to lessen the fric tion between the buckets and the tail-water in `consequence of the surplus of speed attained by the wheel over the waste water esv caping from between the obliquely-arranged buckets.

The upper rim of the wheel is provided at its Outer edge with an annular upwardly-projecting flange, S, of leather or other suitable material, and the upper platform, C, is provided at its central opening, E, with a downwardly-projecting annular flange, T, of suit-able materiahand of such adiameter and width as to extend down inside ofthe upwardlyprojecting flange S of the wheel, so as to overlap the same without interfering in the least .with the revolution of the wheel. This arrangement of the flanges S and T gives a close joint at the top of the wheel, where the Water enters, and as the upper edge of the flange S bears against the bottom ofthe platform C, its elasticity permits of the slight wabble7 of the wheel without an increase of friction or of an open joint, as would be the result if it were not forthis leather flange.

Ico I U represents the wheel-shaft, the lower portion of which extends through a central vertical opening, V, in the bottom of the wheel, and has the enlarged lower end, XV, forming the annular shoulder X, bearing against the lower surface of the wheel-bottom, the pressure of the water forcing the wheel tightly against this annular shoulder, which effectually prevents the wheel from slipping down on the shaft under the pressure of the water, which would be liable to occur if bolts, screws, or other similar means were depended on for holding the wheel in position on the shaft, as it is obvious that the combined weight of the water and wheel would be liable to overcome such fastening devices and force the wheel down out of its operative position.

Vhen the wheel is in operation, the water enters the casing through the horizontal flume at one side, and part ot' it passes directly into the wheel, while a portion passes around within the circular casing upon the portion of the iioor between thewall and the hole in its eenter, until finally it all enters the wheel. As soon as the water passes into the middle of the wheel the cone-shaped bottom forces it outward against the blades or buckets around the rim of the wheel. As the water enters the casing at one side it acquires a rotary motion by passing around within the circular casing, so that when it enters the wheel it still keeps up the same motion, and as it is forced outward against the vertical blades, which are set at an angle to the radius of the wheel, it strikes their faces with considerable more force than if it came into the wheel directly from the top without the rotary motion; but as it strikes the blades at an angle it is deflected backward and leaves the wheel in the opposite direction from which it entered it, thus giving all the power of a reaction-wheel, with the additional power derived from the rotary motion, and also from the fall of the water from the casing down into the wheel.

The downwardly-projeeting flange at the edge of the central opening in the upper platform, fitting inside of and overlapping the upwardly-projectingannular flange on the upper rim of the wheel, effeetually prevents driftwood, shovels, iron bars, or other destructive 5o material which may be swept into the wheel from becoming wedged in between the upper edge of the wheel and the lower side of the platform, thereby obviating all danger of the Wheel being damaged by such destructive material, or impeded in its progress. 5y con structing` the lower surface of the bottom of the wheel with the hollow or concavity M, the step or bearing on which the lower end ofthe wheel-shaft is seated is brought up close under the wheel, and all undue Vibration of the shaft is thus prevented.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of niy improved water-wheel will be readily understood without requiring further explanation.

The upper easing which I have shown and described is old, and it is obvious that any suitable form of casing maybe employed which will admit the water freely into the upper part of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention` what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The combination, in a water-wheel, of a eas ing the bottom or floor of which is provided with a central aperture, a flume entering said casing, a gate in said fiume, an overlapping flange around within said aperture, projecting below the .bottom of said easing, an open topped wheel below said casing,having a series of Vertical blades around its outer edge, said blades being secured together at their tops by means of a rim, a flange of leather or pliable material around said rim and projecting above the top of the wheel and bearing with its up- K per edge against the floor of said casing, and means, substantially as described, for su pporting said wheel and said casing above said wheel.

In testimony whereof' I affix my signature in fio 

